A Day of Surprises
by Littleotter73
Summary: When his niece finds herself without a babysitter, she asks Giles to step in and take care of her daughter for the day, only Giles has no experience with babies. Thankfully he has a very helpful Slayer with babysitting experience.


**Title:** A Day of Surprises

**Author:** littleotter73

**Pairing:** Buffy/Giles

**Rating:** FRT

**Setting:** Post Series, no comics (ever)

**Summary:** When his niece finds herself without a babysitter, she asks Giles to step in and take care of her daughter for the day, only Giles has no experience with babies. Thankfully he has a very helpful Slayer with babysitting experience.

**Disclaimer:** Just for fun, not profit.

**A/N:** While working on the latest story in my angsty series, I found I needed to work on something fluffy and this story was the result.

"Please, Uncle Rupert, if I miss another day, they'll dismiss me," the young woman pleaded, passing the little bundle to him.

"I don't know why you insist on working there when you can have a stable job within the Council," Giles argued.

"I don't want to go into that again," she huffed. Appealing to his academic side, she pressed on, "Please. I need this internship. After I put in my dues, I have a good chance at that curatorship with steady pay, steady hours, and a more reliable day care provider."

Giles looked down at the tiny baby in his arms with panic in his eyes, "Fee, I know nothing about babies and you want to leave her with me _all day?"_

"It will be fine. Mum always said you were really good with me."

"She lied! She knew I was hopeless with these… little…" he looked down into the angelic face of his great-niece and sighed. "Don't you have any friends who are better suited to babysitting?" he asked, looking over his glasses.

"Please, Uncle Ru," she begged.

He threw a hand up in frustration. "I have plans today."

"What plans? Have you finally got a date?"

"Don't start, Fee."

"Well, have you?"

"No."

"Why not? I don't understand why you won't put yourself out there. You're a great guy, Uncle Ru."

He sighed. "It's just difficult when you've lived the life I have. Know the things I know. Bringing someone into this world, asking them to share it… it's… cruel."

"Whoa! Baby steps there, dear Uncle. It's a date, not a marriage proposal! Go out, have fun, get laid for pete's sake! There are plenty of women who aren't looking for commitment."

Giles gingerly shifted the baby in his arms when she started to reach for her mother and rubbed her back to sooth her. That was all sort of the crux of the problem, but he wasn't going to tell his niece that. He was at a point in his life where he wanted the commitment, wanted someone to wake up to every morning and go to bed with every night, and share every aspect of his life with. He'd done the dating thing, he'd done the sex without strings thing, the one night thing. He'd done it all and it wasn't enough anymore.

"How is it we've gone from your urgent need for babysitting to my love life or lack thereof?" he asked in mild irritation.

"Fine," Fiona acquiesced reluctantly. "I still think you need a girlfriend. Anyway, what are these big plans of yours?"

Mildly put out, Giles huffed, "If you must know, I am having lunch with friends." After shifting the baby again, to get a better look at his watch, he sighed, "Buffy should be arriving in about fifteen minutes and then we are going to meet Xander and Willow at the restaurant. I supposed I could cancel."

"Take Mia with you. She's really mellow and she'll probably sleep through it anyway. I have everything you need packed in the bag already. Her bottles are filled and in the cool bag, all you will need to do is heat one of them up with some warm water when she is ready."

"How will I know when she wants to eat?" he asked, resigned to his fate.

"If you are holding her, she'll start rooting and if she's sitting in her carrier, her little mouth will start going or she'll gnaw on her fist. If she's really hungry, she'll cry. You might be able to hold it off with the dummy whilst you are warming the milk, should it become an issue. Don't forget to burp her afterwards or it will all come up at once like the fountain of youth."

Giles made a disgusted face and shook his head at Mia. "Don't even think about it!" he told the baby in no uncertain terms. Fiona laughed as she started for the door.

Realizing an important detail, he made one last effort to save himself and pleaded, "I don't even know how the nappy goes on, Fee…"

She made her way over to him, kissed his cheek and the top of her daughter's head and answered, "You'll figure it out, you're clever. Thank you, Uncle Ru, I owe you one!" she promised as she closed the door behind her.

"Don't think I won't collect!" he called back, but she was already gone. Looking down at his great-niece he sighed. "I haven't a clue as to what I'm supposed to do, little one. Strap in for a rough day." The baby gurgled and he sat down on the sofa.

Fiona and Mia were the only family he had left. His sister and her husband had been killed in the explosion and his parents had died a couple years prior to him leaving for Sunnydale. Upon his return from the States after the defeat of the First, his niece had sought him out and they'd formed a close bond. After she had found out she was pregnant, her boyfriend had run out on her and Giles had made it a priority to make sure she knew she wasn't alone, offering to help financially, but Fiona was extremely independent and determined to make her own way in the world, so he offered his support in whatever way she would accept. Unfortunately, it now seemed to include babysitting.

Giles laid a blanket out on the floor and placed the baby upon it before walking over to the stereo and putting on a Mozart horn concerto. He'd heard somewhere that Mozart was good for a baby's brain development. Sitting down on the floor, he carefully took Mia's legs in his hands and started to gently move them to the beat while cooing to her. He was rewarded with a smile and couldn't help but smile back.

There was a knock at the door and he picked up the baby before he went to answer it.

"Whoa! That's new. Did a stork drop by?" Buffy asked as she entered Giles' home.

"She's not mine," he answered dryly.

"Well, unless you've been hiding a girlfriend from me for a while, I wouldn't think so."

Giles rolled his eyes and took a cleansing breath. "This is Mia my great-niece. Her mum had to work and there is some sort of issue with the daycare provider. Apparently there are no suitable choices for a babysitter, so she's ended up with me for the day."

Buffy took the baby from Giles. "She's adorable… and in need of a change. Her diaper is a little spongey."

"You, uh, know about babies?" he asked with great interest as he walked over to the bag his niece had left.

"A little. I used to babysit before I was Called, but I never babysat one so young before. I kinda remember taking care of Dawn, but mom wouldn't let me change her. I used to dress her up a lot, though, when she was a toddler. It was better than having a Barbie."

Giles pulled out the changing pad, a diaper, and the wipes while Buffy set the baby back down on the blanket. "Well, you are certainly more experienced than I. I was the baby of the family and having never married, managed to avoid this stage of development," he said, bringing the supplies over.

"Aww. It's no big, Giles. Is there any cream in the bag? Or powder?" she asked as she unsnapped the leg enclosures to Mia's lilac pyjamas and pulled her feet out.

"I'll check." He returned a moment later with the cream and handed it to her before retreating to the couch.

Buffy looked over at him. "Umm, Giles, get over here." He stared at her in a kind of horror. "Please! We've dealt with so much worse crawling around in sewers or getting covered in demon guts. At least we're dealing with a human here. Besides, the next change is yours, so you need to know what you're doing."

"Wonderful," he replied dryly. He crouched down on the floor next to her and sighed as he accepted his fate. "Best show me how this works, then."

The infant squirmed a bit while Buffy changed her. She explained how to clean a baby girl, which way the diaper went on, and how the tabs worked, but it went smoothly and he looked at his Slayer with a newfound respect.

"What?" she asked as she picked Mia up again, supporting her head.

"You handled that like a pro."

Buffy smiled at him. "Thanks. Think you can do it next time?"

"I, uh, certainly hope so," he replied after picking up the soiled, rolled up nappy and walking into the kitchen to bin it. Though, truth be told, he wasn't entirely confident he could.

"A couple of changes and you'll be a pro too. Are you about ready to go to lunch? We're going to be a few minutes late as it is."

"I'm not so sure we should take her out," Giles answered nervously, as he washed his hands in the kitchen sink. "Why don't you go ahead and give my regards to Xander and Willow."

"Why not?" Buffy frowned and looked at the little girl. "She's not sick or anything, and she's a really chill baby. Did her mom say not to?"

"Well, no. Fiona did tell me to bring her-"

"Then it's settled," Buffy interrupted. She then turned her attention back to the baby in her arms. "Aunt Willow is just going to eat you up. Yes she is!"

There was no arguing with his Slayer once her mind was made up about something. Giles gathered the blanket and the supplies and placed them in the bag while Buffy strapped the baby in her carrier and snapped it in place on the stroller.

—

"Whoa! Check out the new parents!" Xander pointed towards their friends as Willow looked up.

"Ha ha. Right, it's Giles and Buffy," she answered sarcastically, watching Giles maneuver the stroller through the restaurant. "Seriously though, what are they doing with a baby?"

"Could be the sign of an apocalypse."

"Don't _even_ joke!" the redhead admonished before turning to their arriving friends. "Hey guys. Um… this is new."

"_That's _what I said!" Buffy replied with a grin.

"So where did the baby come from?" Xander asked.

"Well, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much…" Buffy teased.

"The state of American sex education," Giles lamented, rolling his eyes as Buffy undid the straps and pulled Mia out of the carrier.

"And here I thought you just decided to become parents on a whim and swung by the cabbage patch on your way here. Now seriously, where did this particular baby come from and why is she with you guys?"

"This is Giles' great-niece Mia. He's babysitting today."

"Aww!" Willow smiled and held out her arms. "Can I hold her?"

Buffy looked at Giles, who nodded, and handed the baby over to Willow.

"So how did you get _that_ duty, big guy?" Xander asked.

"The same way I got stuck with you lot. It was thrust upon me."

"O-kay… cranky Watcher. Let's get him some tea, stat! Waiter!" he called, but not loud enough to attract any attention.

"How old is Mia?" Willow asked, never taking her eyes off the baby as she snuggled her close.

"Five months," Giles answered.

Xander moved over closer to Willow and pulled a face, earning a giant smile and a squeal of delight from the little one. With the positive reaction, he took the baby from his friend and continued to pull more faces. Mia giggled and cooed happily and had Xander wrapped around her little finger before he even realized it.

The waiter came over and took their drink order, and Giles ordered an extra pot of hot water along with his tea. His three young friends were fascinated with the baby and he enjoyed watching them fuss over her.

It was natural, he supposed. They were all of an age when they might start thinking towards the future and what it might hold for them. That, and they had spent so much of their teens and early twenties facing evil, that celebrating a new life was another way of affirming their emancipation from the death and destruction of the Hellmouth. Watching them, he realized that each one would make a wonderful parent when they were ready.

When the waiter returned with the drinks, Giles tested the pot of water with a finger to make sure it wasn't too hot before placing the baby bottle within to warm up the milk. He hadn't even had a chance to look at the menu, so when the waiter asked him what he was having, he just ordered whatever Buffy had ordered to make it simple.

"Who knew a baby could be so fun?" Xander asked, playing with the baby. "I mean, I was always told they were these tiny crying, eating, and pooping machines that made their parents' lives miserable."

Giles looked over and pitied his young friend. No doubt he had that and more heard from his parents growing up.

"I am sure they do all that too from time to time," Willow answered sagely. "But the good has to outweigh the bad, right? I mean, how can you not look into that precious widdle face and not want to squish those chubby cheeks and just snuggle her?" she asked, reaching in to caress the baby's head.

"I know I can't," Buffy responded with a happy sigh, taking the baby from Xander.

"What gives, Buff?" Xander complained with a pout as Buffy leaned back in her chair, cuddling the little girl. "You've had her for way longer. I mean you picked them up. I bet you even played with her at Giles'."

She shrugged. "Slayer's prerogative."

Giles noticed the tender way Buffy interacted with his great-niece and his heart softened at the sight. He'd seen the love she had for her sister, but this was the first real glimpse of a maternal instinct from her that he'd truly witnessed.

"Giles, are you going to let her bogart the baby?"

"When was the last time you trained with Buffy, Xander?" he answered with a wince before sipping tea from his cup.

"Good point. Since _someone_ can't _share_," he said pointedly, looking over the table at Buffy. "Next time bring one for everyone in the class."

Giles rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I'll stop by the shelter and pick up some kittens, would that suffice?"

"A fluffy orange one if you are taking orders!" Willow chimed in with enthusiasm, releasing the last of the tension out of the room.

Buffy looked down in awe at the baby she held in her arms. Mia was starting to get wiggly and grabbed onto Buffy's shirt as she turned inward towards Buffy's body. "Uh, Giles, how's that bottle coming along?"

Giles turned and looked at Buffy. The baby was starting to root at her breast. "Oh dear lord!" he exclaimed as his cheeks flushed crimson. He pulled the bottle from the pot and swirled the milk around before shaking some out on his wrist to test the temperature. He'd seen that plenty of times on television and film. It must be a thing. Barely feeling any warmth or cold, he figured it must be the right temperature and reached over to take the his great-niece from his Slayer.

"Oh," Buffy stated flatly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to feed her?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers, seeing the disappointment there.

"Go ahead. She's yours," she deferred, looking away quickly.

"She's not _mine."_

Facing him again with more composure, Buffy countered, "Well, she's your relative."

"Really, Buffy if you want-"

"Next time, Giles. It's okay," she assured him.

Giles gave her one of his quick shy smiles and settled back in his chair, crossing his legs. Cradling Mia into his arms, he introduced the bottle and she took it with gusto, staring up trustingly at him.

Her eyes were the exact replicas of his sister's. A pure deep Mediterranean blue, like the waters off the island of Capri. He'd never noticed them before. Funny thing genetics. He moved his ring finger from the bottle he was holding and tenderly stroked the soft cheek as he swallowed the lump that rose in his throat. He looked to see what other familial traits Mia might have and noticed the long, elegant fingers of his mother and wondered if his great-niece would take to the piano someday.

"You okay, man?" Xander asked his friend as the waiter brought their lunch.

Giles barely looked up, hoping his glasses hid his misting eyes. "Hmm? Oh, yes, quite. Just… lost in thought."

Mia finished her bottle and her eyes drooped. Giles brought her up onto his shoulder to burp her and Buffy quickly folded her napkin and placed it over his shoulder, fussing with it to get just the right amount of coverage. He looked at her quizzically.

She shrugged. "Sometimes they spit up."

"Thank you," he said softly as he gently rubbed and patted Mia's back, finally coaxing a little burp from her.

"She's asleep," Buffy whispered. "I've finished. Let me take her and you can eat."

He carefully placed the baby into Buffy's arms and turned to his meal. The conversation between the quartet was light and the sleeping baby made the rounds between the three younger Scoobies until it was time to go. As if on cue Mia woke up and started to cry.

"I bet she needs a change," Willow said as she looked at the fussing baby in her arms.

Buffy looked at Giles and asked, "It's a public place, you want me to do it?"

"No, no. It's my turn. I think I can manage and there is a family bathroom here." He picked up the bag, took the baby from Willow, and headed towards the family room.

"Good luck!" Xander called after him.

Giles grimaced. He was going to need it, but he couldn't let Buffy change the baby twice. Mia was his responsibility. After fumbling about for several moments, he managed to change her without further incident. With a dry and happy baby in his arms, Giles slowly made his way back to the table, being stopped along the way by women of all ages. A few even slipped notes with their phone numbers into the pocket of the diaper bag once they noticed his left ring finger bore no wedding ring.

When Giles finally made it back to the table, Xander asked, "Do you think your niece would be willing to let me take Mia out for a day? I never knew babies were such chick magnets."

"I had no idea either. That was rather… um… eye opening."

"Oh please, that's practically porn for most women," Buffy dismissed incredulously. "Sexy single guy with a baby, it's like catnip."

Giles and Xander stared at her with wide eyes.

"It's true," Willow said. "I mean, gay now, but there really isn't anything much cuter."

"I so need to get me one of those," Xander said, referring to babies.

"Uh, Xand, if you had one, you wouldn't really be in the market for a woman."

"Well, hopefully not, but for now, borrowing one might get me one step closer to eventually having one. I mean, I hadn't really thought about having a family in a long time. With Anya I knew I wasn't ready for that, but there was a someday. Now, I don't know… now someday just sorta seems… closer," Xander explained.

There was a sadness in his voice that Giles could relate to, even if his someday had passed by a while ago. Not wanting to let the moment go on too long and become awkward, he said. "Well, I am not sure Fiona would appreciate having her daughter draw women in for you. Perhaps you should try speed dating?"

The three younger Scoobies groaned.

"Puppies are cute," Buffy suggested. "Women like men with puppies."

"There's a thought," Xander replied as Giles finished strapping Mia into the carrier.

They walked out into the bright sunny day and Buffy pulled the screen up over the stroller.

"Well, I promised Andrew I'd go see _Serenity_ with him and a few buddies this afternoon. Looks like a great flick. Same time, same place next week?" Xander asked, making the rounds to hug his friends as they answered in the affirmative. When he got to Giles, he said, "I know you didn't have much of a choice, but thanks for bringing little Mia out, Giles. She's a cutie."

"Thanks for entertaining her, Xander."

Willow made her farewells as well, promising to spend more time with everyone the following week.

"Looks like it's just the three of us," Buffy observed casually.

"If, um, you have somewhere else you need or prefer to be, Buffy, I understand," Giles said, shoving his right hand in his jeans pocket.

"I don't, actually. Do you want to head to the park with her?"

He gave her a surprised smile. "I'd rather like that."

They found a nice place in the shade and Giles laid the blanket out on the ground for them and Buffy freed the baby from her seat and sat down with her on the blanket. The Watcher stretched out next to them after taking off his jacket and shoes.

Buffy smiled at him as she placed the baby on her thighs and started to play with her. "Comfy?" she asked.

"Just about," he answered rolling up his sleeves. "I thought I might take advantage of the warm day." He reached out and stroked the baby's cheek. "She looks good on you," he said softly.

"As close as I'll get," she returned. Her voice wasn't bitter, it just held resignation.

"I wouldn't say that, you are young. If you want to have children, you will."

Buffy faced him and rolled her eyes. "Even retired, it's hard to find someone I can relate to, you know? I mean we have this whole secret world that the average Joe is never going to understand, never going to truly "get". And then there is having to deal with my Slayer gifts and that adds a whole extra degree of difficulty men just can't seem to deal with."

"It'll happen, Buffy."

She gave him a noncommittal shrug. "What about you?"

Giles took a deep breath. "Ah, I rather think that ship has sailed. I'm a great uncle now. That's like being a grandparent." He visibly shuddered at the thought.

"It's different for men. There's not really an age restriction as long as everything still works." Buffy commented neutrally. "You are so good with Mia, it would be a shame."

He gave her a small smile before turning his attention back to the baby. "I'm sure I've made many mistakes with her, but she's very tolerant."

Buffy set the baby down between them and stretched out on her left side, raised up on her elbow, facing him. Reaching into the bag he had placed above them, she pulled out a little stuffed dog and started to play with Mia, making little growly and barking noises as she touched her nose or tummy with the toy. The infant started giggling, which then turned into a full belly laugh, and it warmed Giles' heart to see Buffy so being so free and unguarded with his great-niece. Her hair kept getting in her way and she kept running her hand through her it to push it back.

Giles reached out and gently pushed the offending lock behind her ear, his fingers trailing lightly along the shell of her ear. Buffy looked up at him and he realized he had taken a liberty he shouldn't have by touching her so intimately, he was about to apologize when he noticed the smile on her face.

They shared a moment and his world spun on its axis. Suddenly she wasn't just his Slayer… or a treasured friend anymore. He looked upon her with new eyes and those three words he'd always meant to say, but never had, took on an entirely new and deeper, more complicated meaning, but he returned her smile with one of his own.

"It seemed like it was bothering you," he murmured.

"It was, thank you," she responded quietly, leaning into his touch.

The baby started to make her displeasure known at having her game interrupted and Buffy gave him an apologetic look before turning her attentions back towards the infant. "I'm sorry, little miss, did I stop when I wasn't supposed to?" she laughed playfully as she started to tease Mia with the stuffed dog again.

Giles watched them interact and felt as though his heart might burst from the new emotions he was experiencing. Feeling the need to take a few minutes to himself, he pushed himself up. "I am going to walk over to the kiosk for something to drink. Would you like something?"

She flashed him an appreciative look. "A bottle of water?"

"Of course," he answered. Testing the temperature of a baby bottle he had pulled out on their arrival, he deemed it a little cool, but would probably be alright when Mia was ready for it. At the moment Buffy had her happily occupied.

He wandered over to the little hut that sold snacks and beverages near the pond, musing on how perfect a day it had turned out to be despite being saddled with an infant. He really appreciated Buffy's help in taking care of Mia. Without her, surely he'd be at home pulling his hair out with a screaming baby on his hands and no idea as to what her needs might be.

Upon his return he stopped several meters shy of his destination at the beautiful sight of Buffy sitting on the blanket, feeding the baby in her arms and giving her her full attention as she softly sang to her. It seemed so right, so natural.

The First Slayer had told Buffy once that she was full of love, and he could see that love shining through now. It was humbling. He'd seen the love and devotion she'd held for her friends and family, but this was different. She had no connection to this infant other than her being his great-niece. Mia was a stranger to her, and yet, she was totally smitten with her.

'She really should be a mother,' Giles thought, completely captivated by the scene before him. In that moment, he knew he was completely besotted, and it absolutely astonished him how suddenly his feelings for her had changed and how intense they were.

Finding his staunch British resolve, he walked back over to the blanket and sat down beside Buffy, placing the water bottles off to the side. He recognized the song as _Thank You_ by Dido, her voice sweet and soft, and he reached out to gently run his hand over Mia's soft, downy head.

After the final note was sung, Buffy looked up at him, her face serious and her eyes bright with unshed tears. Giles held her gaze, knowing her well enough to know the tears were happy ones, and when one escaped her lashes, he cupped her cheek and gently brushed away the offending droplet with his thumb. He noticed the slight hitch in her breathing and she closed her eyes momentarily. When she opened them again, he could see the longing in those mossy green depths. Slowly he leaned towards her and tenderly touched his lips to hers. Her kiss was sweet and soft and welcoming, and when it was over, he kissed her again with more passion, feeling his emotions swell in his chest when she responded in kind.

"Wow," she whispered as they broke apart, her eyes searching his.

"Wow indeed," he agreed as the corners of his mouth tugging into a grin.

Buffy felt the baby release the bottle and looked down at the little bundle in her arms. "She's just about asleep."

Giles reached in and picked up his great-niece and put her on his shoulder, saying, "Not quite yet, little one." He gently rubbed her back and coaxed a little belch from her.

"She's out like a light now," Buffy whispered as she leaned over and kissed the baby's head.

"Ah, good," he said quietly as he deftly moved her off his should and into the crook of his right arm.

Touching Mia's little hand with her index finger, Buffy marveled, "She has long fingers like you."

"She has my mother's hands," Giles said softly. "And my father's tolerant nature… and like him, it has a threshold," he mused with a chuckle. He'd had a good relationship with his parents despite his rebellion. His mother had always been supportive and his father had been understanding with regards to his reluctance to becoming a Watcher, but only up to a point, after that he'd expected his son to accept his duty and soldier through, not disappear in the underbelly of London for two years debauching himself. And despite his fears upon returning home, Giles found his father patiently waiting for him, willing to help bring him back into the fold, his disappointment and anger notwithstanding.

Buffy leaned her head against his shoulder and laced her fingers through his as they watched the baby sleep. "You okay?"

"Yes. It's comforting to know they live on in successive generations." After a few moments, he checked his watch. "It's getting late. We should head back to mine before Fiona gets there."

She let out a heavy sigh, "Is it bad that I don't want to give her back?"

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him, kissing her temple. "No, not at all. It's only bad if you actually don't give her back to her mum. There would be police involved and the whole affair would get rather ugly," he teased.

"Okay, you've convinced me," she resolved with a little chuckle.

"Perhaps we can babysit again sometime. Fee's current daycare situation seems unstable at the moment."

Standing up, Buffy took the baby from Giles and placed her into the carrier, securing her in with the straps. "I'd like that."

He smiled at her as he pulled on his shoes and she knelt down next to him, facing him and taking his hand in hers. "So, um, the kissing thing," she started nervously, peering down at their joined hands.

"Yes?" he asked, his cheeks flushing.

"I like it," she said shyly and raised her eyes to meet his. "A lot."

He leaned closer to her, his eyes falling to her lips, before meeting hers again. "That's… uh… quite the coincidence."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yes."

"Good, because I thought maybe we could do it more often," she informed him as she drew closer to him.

"I'd like that very much," he murmured just before her lips met his. This time, without the child in her arms, she was able to touch him. Her fingers caressed his cheek as they moved around to the back of his neck and combed up through his hair. Her kisses were gentle, chaste, and undemanding, yet there was an intense underlying passion in them which created a deep ache within him and he craved more.

Buffy pulled away and sighed happily, "Yeah, a lot more often."

Giles couldn't help but grin and pulled her into a hug. "I am sure that could be arranged."

They left the park, Giles pushing the stroller and Buffy walking in step beside him. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers between hers, bringing them up to his lips to kiss her knuckles. She turned and gave him a bright smile.

Arriving back at his home, they were greeted at the door by Fiona.

"Oh, Fee, I am sorry. Have you been waiting long?" Giles asked in surprise.

"Maybe ten minutes or so. I hope it was okay to let myself in with the key."

"Of course." He noticed his niece eyeing Buffy. "Fiona, this is Buffy, my erm…"

"Slayer," Fiona supplied as she reached out to shake Buffy's hand. "Nice to finally meet you. I hope Uncle Ru didn't recruit you to babysit for him today."

"Nope. I was just along for the ride. He's quite handy at the feeding and changing thing. Don't let him fool you," Buffy replied, nodding her head in Giles' direction as he extracted little Mia from her carrier.

Giles looked down at Mia who was clearly straining to get out of the carrier. "You heard your mummy, didn't you?" he cooed to her as he worked the straps.

Fiona gave Buffy a look that indicated that she was quite impressed. "When I left him this morning, he was all blustery and awkward and begging me to find someone else, as if I had a choice."

Handing his great-niece over to her mother, Giles shoved his hands in his pockets and answered, "Admittedly, without Buffy the waters would have been much more choppy, but we managed and I am rather more confident now."

"Mia's an amazing baby," Buffy added. "And lots of fun. We had a great time with her today, and she even won over our friend Xander, who sorta saw babies as _mostly_ harmless demons."

"Aww, were you a good girl for Buffy and Uncle Ru?" Fiona asked her daughter as she snuggled her close. She then turned to Giles. "Would you mind terribly if I fed her before we go home? She won't last the trip."

"Not at all, please." He indicated towards the couch and she sat down to feed the baby.

"Uh, I am going to make some tea," Buffy said as she hurried out of the room towards the kitchen.

Giles looked at his niece after she placed the baby at her breast and quickly excused himself, "I will go see if Buffy can manage." He found Buffy staring at the kettle waiting for it to boil. "I am sorry, I should've asked Fee to feed the baby in the study. I sometimes forget American… sensibilities."

"No, it's fine. I'm not bothered by seeing a woman feed her child, Giles. That's the most natural thing in the world."

"You rushed out rather quickly. Are you alright?"

"Fine." She moved to the cupboard to pull out the tea tin.

He studied her posture a moment before he approached her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her body against his. Kissing her ear, he said softly, "Is it selfish to enjoy this moment to ourselves?" She sighed heavily and hugged him closer, but didn't answer. As the kettle clicked off, Buffy reached for it and Giles placed his hand over hers, halting the tea making process. He wished she would say something. "Talk to me?"

"I don't know what to say," she answered, shaking her head.

"Is your change of mood because of me?" he asked with hint of trepidation. Perhaps giving the infant back to her mother had broken some illusion she'd created for them.

Buffy brought his hand up and kissed the palm. "No. I am still counting on more of the kissing thing… with a healthy side of dating and possibly more if you are interested kind of thing."

"Oh I am definitely interested," he responded with a soft chuckle as he kissed the side of her neck, infinitely pleased with her answer, but he probed on, "Are you upset about handing the baby back?"

Shaking her head in thought, she answered, "I've done the mom thing with Dawn. I'm still doing it. I don't know why playing with a baby today is such a big deal and why I miss her so much already."

"Dawn is your sister. She was also fourteen when she came to you, despite the implanted memories. It is different," he tried explaining.

"I know," she shrugged halfheartedly.

"You are being too hard on yourself, love. Babies, especially easy going ones, tend to draw out the maternal instincts, o-or so I am told. It's a natural reaction." He turned her to face him and caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "You were absolutely brilliant with Mia today and without you, both of us would have been completely miserable. I have no doubt that one day you will make the most extraordinary mother, and if one of these 'possibly more' scenarios would involve a more permanent arrangement between us, then it would be my honor to start a family with you, despite… uh… my advanced years and great uncle status."

The corners of her mouth tugged upward and a mischievous gleam tinted her irises. "I guess that means everything is working order?" Buffy teased, remembering their conversation earlier.

"Care to find out?" he asked with a wicked smile as he pulled her closer to him.

"Not before a date or two, Mr Giles, I am not that sort of girl!" she protested in jest, lightly slapping his arm. "Okay, maybe I am that sort of girl," she amended as she pulled him down and nuzzled his nose with hers before asking, "Did you just sort of propose a long term relationship?"

He brought his hands up to cradle her face between them. "The longest," he answered as his lips tasted hers and their tongues met for the first time. Lost in the headiness of the kiss, Giles was consumed by the passion within until he was in danger of taking her right there, and reluctantly pulled away.

"Mmm, that was amazing. Why'd you stop?" she whimpered when they broke apart.

"We have guests in the lounge," Giles reminded her, catching his breath.

"Oh right, and I was making tea." Buffy started to move back to the kettle, but stopped and turned to him, taking his hands in hers. "Giles, as much as I loved spending time with Mia today - and I would totally babysit again - I know not ready to start a family right now, but thank you for being willing to embark on that journey with me when I am. Right now, I just kinda want to spend some time getting to know you first."

Giles chuckled and pulled her to him, kissing her temple. "We've known each other for eight years now, love."

"And every day I'm still discovering something new about you," she replied. "For example, today I learned you have a great-niece and that you love me."

"I do," he declared seriously as he caressed her face. "I learnt that today too, you know."

"You should've known you had a great-niece, Giles," she teased.

His hands moved to her ribs and he started to tickle her, she shrieked and laughed, "Okay, okay! I give!"

"Erm, Uncle Ru?"

Giles quickly let Buffy go and turned to face Fiona, his cheeks and neck suddenly blushing bright red. "Uh, yes?" he asked, pulling off his glasses and polishing them furiously with the handkerchief he carried in his pocket.

"I need to leave. Mia has had a very exciting day and I am knackered," Fiona said, bouncing from one leg to the other with a squirming baby in her arms.

Buffy peered from around his body. "Are you sure you don't want any tea?"

"Thank you, no, I really must be going. Perhaps we all can meet up for dinner sometime soon, Buffy. It would be nice to get to know Uncle Ru's… Slayer," Fiona suggested with an amused smile as she held Giles' eyes with hers.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Buffy returned with a genuine grin as she moved around her Watcher. Stroking the baby's head, she said, "Any family of Giles' is my family too."

The couple followed Fiona out to the foyer and helped gather the baby's things as she readied her daughter for their trip home. Before she left, she turned to Giles and asked, "I found some notes with phone numbers in the bag. I take it you aren't interested?"

Giles only turned turned slightly pink and he rubbed the back of his neck. "No, no," he answered quickly. "Bin them when you get home."

"That's what I thought," his niece replied with approval. "Well, I really can't thank you both enough for watching Mia today. And Buffy, thank you for coming to the rescue of my two favorite people."

After seeing Giles' family members out, Buffy turned to Giles and hugged him. "I owe you an answer."

"To what?"

Buffy raised her head and caught his gaze. "That long term relationship deal."

"Ah. Yes, that." Suddenly he was very nervous. He hadn't felt that way when he put forth the idea of having children with her. Which was odd, because it was completely antithetical to the way things were done. But he had already committed his life to her when he became her Watcher that committing further didn't seem like such a big deal at the time.

"I'm totally on board with it," she said with a sly grin.

"Well, that's a relief."

Caressing his cheek with the tips of her fingers, she declared, "I love you, Giles. If you are wondering, it's not a new feeling for me."

"It is a new one for me, Buffy. I loved you before, certainly, but today the nature of it changed."

"Do you need time? I won't hold you to it. Things said in the spur of a moment…"

God, he loved her. Cradling her face between his hands, he gently brushed his lips against hers. Her response was immediate and she opened up to him. "I wouldn't have said it, if it wasn't something I wanted," he explained, when they broke apart.

Buffy led him over to the couch and fell into it with a complete lack of grace. "Here we are all alone and I totally want to be that kind of girl, but I suddenly am feeling very beat."

Giles sat down next to her and gathered her into his arms before closing his eyes and resting his cheek against the top of her head. "It's been a long day, albeit a wonderful one full of surprises."

"Best day of my life," she responded as she cuddled against him. "Thank you."

19


End file.
